The document discusses figures and moods of categorical syllogisms. It defines figures as the arrangement of terms in the premises, with four possible figures depending on where the middle term is located. It defines moods as the arrangement of premises by quality and quantity, identifying 8 valid moods out of 16 possibilities. It then provides a mnemonic device to help remember the 19 valid mood/figure combinations, and provides examples of valid syllogisms for each of the four figures. Special rules apply to the first figure that further limit its valid moods.
The document discusses figures and moods of categorical syllogisms. It defines figures as the arrangement of terms in the premises, with four possible figures depending on where the middle term is located. It defines moods as the arrangement of premises by quality and quantity, identifying 8 valid moods out of 16 possibilities. It then provides a mnemonic device to help remember the 19 valid mood/figure combinations, and provides examples of valid syllogisms for each of the four figures. Special rules apply to the first figure that further limit its valid moods.
The document discusses figures and moods of categorical syllogisms. It defines figures as the arrangement of terms in the premises, with four possible figures depending on where the middle term is located. It defines moods as the arrangement of premises by quality and quantity, identifying 8 valid moods out of 16 possibilities. It then provides a mnemonic device to help remember the 19 valid mood/figure combinations, and provides examples of valid syllogisms for each of the four figures. Special rules apply to the first figure that further limit its valid moods.
The document discusses figures and moods of categorical syllogisms. It defines figures as the arrangement of terms in the premises, with four possible figures depending on where the middle term is located. It defines moods as the arrangement of premises by quality and quantity, identifying 8 valid moods out of 16 possibilities. It then provides a mnemonic device to help remember the 19 valid mood/figure combinations, and provides examples of valid syllogisms for each of the four figures. Special rules apply to the first figure that further limit its valid moods.
Lesson Objectives: At the end of this lesson, you will be able to: • Define the meaning of figures and moods of categorical syllogisms • Analyze the different locations and arrangements of figures and moods of categorical syllogisms • Classify valid syllogisms and identify the mood by figure then give the applicable Latin hexameter
Discussion of Content: In the previous lessons, we studied the standard and non-standard form of categorical syllogism. We also learned the traditional rules to be followed for a categorical syllogism to be considered valid. In the following lesson, we will study the figure (depending on the arrangement of terms in a proposition) and the mood (arrangement of premises according to quality and quantity) of a categorical syllogism.
FIGURE AND MOOD
The categorical syllogism has a variety of logical forms when one takes into consideration the arrangement of terms, and the quantity and quality of the proposition. On the basis of these factors, syllogism can be identified according to figure and mood.
Figure The figure of the categorical syllogism refers to the form of syllogism defined by the arrangement of terms in the premises. It has four variations each of which is identifiable by the placement or location of the middle term.
First Figure. In the first figure, the middle term is the subject-term of the major premise and the predicate-term of the minor premise. The clue to remember this distinction is sub-pre.
Illustration: M P S M S P
Example: Men are rational beings,
but some kind creatures are men, so, some kind creatures are rational beings. Second Figure. In the second figure, the middle term is the predicate-term of both premises. The clue pre-pre will help identify this figure.
Illustration: P M S M S P
Example: No men are immortal beings,
but some creatures are immortal beings, therefore, some creatures are not men.
Third Figure. In the third figure, the middle term is the subject-term of both premises. The clue sub-sub will be useful to identify this figure.
Illustration: M P M S S P
Example: Dogs are not cats,
but all dogs are loyal pets, therefore, some loyal pets are not cats.
Fourth Figure. In the fourth figure, the middle term is the predicate-term of the major premise and the subject-term of the minor premise. This figure can be easily recalled with the use of the clue pre-sub.
Illustration: P M M S S P
Example: Angels are not mortal beings,
but some mortal beings are God-fearing, hence, some God-fearing beings are not angels.
If one can remember the placements of the middle terms in the first and the second figures, it would be easy to remember the third and the fourth figures because, on the basis of the placement of the middle term, the fourth figure is the reverse of the first figure, while the third figure is the reverse of the second figure.
Another aid to remembering these four figures is the "shirt collar model." In using this device, one imagines the arrangement of the middle term in the four figures are depicted in the outline of the front view of a shirt collar. Figure
1 2 3 4 Arrangement of M P P M M P P M terms S M S M M S M S
Using this device, one may still have difficulty in distinguishing the second figure from the third figure. This is not a problem if it is remembered that the minor term (S) and the major term (P) of these two figures are in the same "collar flap" as the middle term. Thus, in the second figure, the S and P are to the left of the middle term, while in the third figure, they are to the right.
Mood The mood of a categorical syllogism refers to the form of syllogism defined by the arrangement of the premises according to quality and quantity. If each of the propositions A, E, I, and O is paired with each other, there will be 16 possible pairs, as shown below.
Pair Number 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 Major Premise A A A A E e E e I i i i O o o o Minor Premise A E I O A e I o A e i o A e i o
Not all the 16 possible moods are valid when the traditional rules of the categorical syllogism are applied to them. The invalid ones are in small letters. Moods 6, 8, 14, and 16 are invalid because they violate Rule 4 (No conclusion follows from two negative premises). Moods 11, 12, 15, and 16 are likewise invalid because they violate Rule 7 (At least one premise must be universal). Mood 10 is also invalid because it violates Rule 2 (The major and the minor terms must not be universal in the conclusion if they are particular in the premises).
Disregarding all the invalid moods, what are left are only eight valid ones. These are:
Pair Number 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 Major Premise A A A A E E I O Minor Premise A E I O A I A A
When we combine valid moods with the figures, the combination results in the invalidation of some of these eight valid moods in certain figures. This is so because there are special rules which govern the figures of categorical syllogism. Violation of these special rules will yield one or more of the fallacies (using traditional rules as basis) presented earlier.
Combining the eight valid moods with the four figures will yield 19 valid moods. Identification of these valid moods by figures is facilitated by the following mnemonic verses which come in Latin hexameters:
The Latin words prioris, secundae, tertia, and quarta stand respectively for the first, second, third, and fourth figures. The vowels in the words represent the moods of the syllogisms in each figure. Thus, in the first figure, the four moods are AAA in Barbara, EAE in Celarent, AII in Darii and EIO in Ferio. In the same manner, one can identify the moods in the three other figures. It should be remembered that the pattern is represented as follows: the first vowel represents the major premise, the second vowel the minor premise, and the third vowel the conclusion.
VALID MOODS BY FIGURE
First Figure The first figure is governed by the following special rules: 1. The major premise must be universal. 2. The minor premise must be affirmative.
Applying these rules, only four of the eight valid moods remain valid. These are: AAA, AII, EAE, and EIO. Below are syllogisms with these valid moods.
A All dogs are animals,
A but fox terriers are dogs, A therefore, fox terriers are animals. Clue: bArbArA
A All men are mortal,
I but some kind creatures are men, I therefore, some kind creatures are mortal. Clue: dArII
E Selfish persons are not truly considerate,
A but power-hungry individuals are selfish, E therefore, no power-hungry individuals are truly considerate. Clue: cElArEnt
E No nationalistic person is a traitor to his country,
I but some Filipinos are nationalistic persons, O therefore, some Filipinos are not traitors to their country. Clue: fErIO
Ignoring the special rules for the first figure will result in certain fallacies, as the following illustrations show:
1. Mu a Pp 2. M a Pp S o M S e M S o Pu S e Pu
3. Mp i P 4. Mp o P S a Mp S a Mp
In the first and second cases, Rule 2, the minor premise must be affirmative, is violated. This violation results to a fallacy of illicit major because the major premise which is affirmative has a particular predicate-term whereas its conclusion which is negative has a universal predicate-term (cases 1 & 2). In the third and fourth cases, Rule 1, the major premise must be universal, is violated resulting to the fallacy of undistributed middle. As illustrations 3 and 4 show, the middle terms which are the subject-terms of major premises are particular, and as predicate-terms of minor premises are also particular.
The same analytical process must be used in determining which moods are valid for the remaining three figures.
Second Figure The second figure is subject to the following special rules: 1. The major premise must be universal. 2. One premise must be negative.
With these rules, only four moods remain valid. These are AEE, AOO, EAE, and EIO. These valid moods are illustrated by the following syllogisms:
A Westerners are materialistic,
E but Asians are not materialistic, E therefore, Asians are not Westerners. Clue: cAmEstrEs A All ambitious people are hard-working, O but some persons are not hard-working, O hence, some persons are not ambitious. Clue: bArOcO
E No kind acts are ill-motivated,
A but all crimes are ill-motivated, E hence, all crimes are not kind acts. Clue: cEsArE
E No men are immortal beings,
I but some creatures are immortal beings, O so, some creatures are not men. Clue: fEstInO
Violating the rules for the second figure will result to certain fallacies illustrated as follows:
1. P a Mp 2. P a Mp S a Mp S i Mp
3. P i Mp 4. Pp o M S a Mp S a M S o Pu
Cases 1 and 2 violate Rule 2, one premise must be negative, resulting to the fallacy of undistributed middle because the middle term which is the predicate-term of both the affirmative premises is particular. Case 3 violates both Rule 1, the major premise must be universal, and Rule 2, one premise must be negative, resulting to the fallacy of undistributed middle. Case 4 also violates Rule 1 resulting to the fallacy of illicit major because as subject-term of proposition O, the major term is particular but as predicate- term of the conclusion, it is universal.
Third Figure The third figure is governed by the following special rules: 1. The minor premise must be affirmative. 2. The conclusion must be particular.
Applying these rules, six valid moods remain valid. These are AAI, AII, EAO, EIO, IAI, and OAO. Example for each of these is given below. A All working students are studious, A but all working students are poor, I therefore, some poor people are studious. Clue: dArAptI
A All Asians are family-loving,
I but some Asians are Filipinos, I hence, some Filipinos are family-loving. Clue: dAtIsI
E Dogs are not cats,
A but dogs are loyal pets, O therefore, some loyal pets are not cats. Clue: fElAptOn
E No successful men are lazy,
I but some successful men are very ambitious, O so, some very ambitious men are not lazy. Clue: fErIsOn
I Many Christians are into good works,
A but all Christians are peace-loving, I so, some peace-loving people are into good works. Clue: dIsAmIs
O Few men are not considerate,
A but men are mortal, O so, some mortal beings are not considerate. Clue: bOcArdO
When the rules for the third figure are ignored, the fallacy of illicit major is incurred. This is illustrated by the following:
1. M a Pp 2. M a Pp M e S M o S S e Pu S o/e Pu
Both cases violate Rule 1, the minor premise must be affirmative, because their minor premises are negative which result to negative conclusions the predicate-terms of which are universal in quantity or extension. Fourth Figure The fourth figure has the following special rules: 1. If the major premise is affirmative, the minor premise must be universal. 2. If the minor premise is affirmative, the conclusion must be particular. 3. If one of the premises (and the conclusion) is negative, the major premise must be universal.
Applying these rules, five valid moods remain valid. These are AAI, AEE, EAO, EIO, and IAI. Examples for these valid moods are presented below:
A All radio commentators are courageous,
A but all courageous people are socially-motivated, I so, some socially-motivated people are radio commentators. Clue: brAmAntIp
A All farmers are hardworking,
E but no hardworking people are into drugs, E therefore, no drug users are farmers. Clue: cAmEnEs
E No criminals are honest,
A but honest persons are good leaders, O hence, some good leaders are not criminals. Clue: fEsApO
E Angels are not mortal beings,
I but some mortal beings are God-fearing, O therefore, some God-fearing beings are not angels. Clue: frEsIsOn
I Some athletes are very disciplined,
A but all very disciplined men are religious, I hence, some very religious men are athletes. Clue: dImArIs
Any violations of the rules for the fourth figure will lead to certain fallacies, as illustrated by the following:
1. P a Mp 2. Pp o M Mp o S M a Sp S o Pu The first case violated Rule 1, if the major premise is affirmative, the minor premise must be universal, because its minor premise is particular. This violation yields the fallacy of the undistributed middle. The second case violates Rule 3, if a premise (and the conclusion) is negative and the major premise must be universal, because its major premise is particular. The violation results to the fallacy of illicit major.
Application: Below you will see samples of valid syllogisms where the figure and mood given are applied: 1. Figure 1 – mood AAA (bArbArA) All immorality is a sin, But murder is an immorality, Therefore, murder is a sin. 2. Figure 4 – mood EIO (frEsIsOn) No totalitarian states are free countries, But some free countries are advocators of authentic democracy, Hence, some totalitarian states are not advocators of authentic democracy. 3. Figure 1 – mood AII (dArII) All drivers are required a license, But some workers are drivers, So, some workers are required a license. 4. Figure 2 – mood AOO (bArOcO) All pianists are musicians, But some artists are not musicians, Therefore, some artists are not pianists. 5. Figure 3 – mood AAI (dArAptI) Every pest is destructive, But every pest is an organism, Hence, some organisms are destructive.
